"Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness."
~ Napoleon Hill ~
"Selfishness is the greatest curse of the human race."
I find myself becoming more and more ashamed of being part of the human race. Sounds harsh, doesn't it? Before I go much further, let me explain here and now, the finger is pointed as much at me as it is anyone else. I'm guilty of the same selfishness.
Specifically, I'm enormously troubled by the "our country versus your country" mentality we seem to share here in these United States. "Illegal" immigration is a topic you hear about every day around coffee tables, bars, dinner tables, and the local and global news. What surprises me is, I never hear anyone in support of immigration. Actually, I've heard a few say they're with it as long as it's "legal."
You know the arguments. "They're taking our jobs!" They're getting free health care!" "I'm paying taxes to support these aliens!" They're all the same cloaked under a different heading. We really don't want to help.
Well, let me ask you something. When was the last time (and yes, I'm talking to you) any immigrant from any country, Mexico or otherwise, actually cost you a job? When did it really ever cost you a red cent? Are your taxes outrageous? Of course they are. But do you honestly think a few thousand migrants from another country really make a difference in your tax bill? Be serious. It isn't even a blip on the radar.
And how many of you doing the complaining are getting some kind of assistance yourself? More than a handful, I would guess. And each of us reaps the benefits of government services of some kind each and every day. I'm a fireman. You want to complain about waste? Talk to the people who abuse the 911 system every minute of every day, right here in the U.S. Guess who pays for that. You!!
Look, I get that as Americans we have a certain attitude of thinking we're better than thou. And if the field we're playing on is divided by imaginary lines drawn on some map; borders, if you will, then protecting what's "ours" and not sharing with those that need it makes sense. Survival of the fittest, right? Natural Selection and all that. But unless you're ready to take Natural Selection all the way and let the human race suffer or succeed based on wealth and location, you better be ready to play to the end. It's a tough game.
So, here's what I don't understand. Thousands of children (not to mention the hundreds or thousands of adult migrants) are crossing our "borders" and need help. You seriously don't want to offer it to them with open arms? Shame on you. These aren't Mexicans. They're people. They cry like you, smile like you, thirst like you, live like you. They only want a way to make things better for their family. And these children that have no one!! You better take them in, clothe them, and love them. Do THAT or don't you dare call yourself a Christian (which just happens to be the religion most Conservatives think our nation is based on.) Don't you dare. Jesus wouldn't have cared where they came from. He'd have helped them. No questions asked. If the tables were turned, you'd swim every river, cross every border, and break every law to find a way to make things better for your family. If you wouldn't, then shame on you again.
The concept of borders just fascinates me. Why do humans feel such a need to separate themselves from each other? Are we really that self-centered? Without borders, without the need to protect our own while taking from others, (Oh, PLEASE don't tell me you think the good ole U.S. doesn't engage in that) there's no need for war, or hoarding, or selfishness. It blows my mind to think that in the 21st century, killing people is still the way to resolution. Every soldier ever killed from every country ever ENGAGED in war was young, had a family, children, parents, a home. And they died for what? For their country. They died for an entity that uses young men and women as disposable items in a game meant to control the global economy. It saddens me. It makes me sick to my stomach. And don't get me wrong. I have the utmost respect for our brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives for a concept they believed in. That's the way the system is now. But it's broken.
If you have a roof over your head, food to eat and 20 dollars in your pocket, I estimate you're wealthier than 80 percent of the world population. 80 percent. I just bought a new truck. I'd say that means I'm probably wealthier than 90 percent. And yet, I haven't given a dime lately to a needy child in another part of the world. Those kids aren't Africans or Asians. They're children. They're people for cryin' out loud!
I don't have the solution to this. I don't. But what I do know with all my soul is that fences aren't the answer. Borders aren't the answer. Wars aren't the answer. In 2013, the U.S. spent somewhere in the neighborhood of 18 BILLION dollars enforcing immigration laws. I wonder how many of them we could have just fed and housed with that money.
Take down the fences. Let them come. Feed them. Love them. House them. It's what Jesus would do. And it's what we should do. Because in the end, "each other" is all we're ever going to have. And if someone comes along to save your behind, I'm guessing you won't care what border or fence they crossed to do it.
We're people. Humans. How about we start acting like it.
